The Academy Awards has named a replacement for resigning co-producer Brett Ratner.
Academy President Tom Sherak announced Wednesday that Academy Award-winner Brian Grazer will join Don Mischer as a producer of the 84th Academy Awards. This will be the first time Grazer has produced the Oscar telecast.
“Brian Grazer is a renowned filmmaker who over the past 25 years has produced a diverse and extraordinary body of work,” said Sherak. “He will certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and relationships to the Oscars.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Brian Grazer as my partner and that we will be collaborating to produce an outstanding show,” Mischer said in a press release.
“It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career,” said Grazer. “Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him.”
Grazer no stranger to the Oscars
Grazer has earned four Academy Award nominations. He won a Best Picture Oscar in 2001 for A Beautiful Mind. In 1984, Grazer was nominated in the writing category for Splash, and he received Best Picture nominations in 1995 and 2008 for Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon. His other film credits include Spies Like Us, Kindergarten Cop, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, 8 Mile and Cinderella Man. His current projects include the about to be released J. Edgar and the just released Tower Heist.
Eddie Murphy quits
Ratner resigned Tuesday as Academy Awards co-producer amid controversy surrounding a homophobic slur he made while promoting his film Tower Heist. Actor Eddie Murphy withdrew as host of the Awards ceremony Wednesday. The Academy hasn’t announced Murphy’s replacement.
“I appreciate how Eddie feels about losing his creative partner, Brett Ratner, and we all wish him well,” said Sherak.
Commented Murphy, “First and foremost I want to say that I completely understand and support each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers for this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
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